Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Rough Framing

Years ago when I was just out of school I got a job working construction. That is when I first learned the term “rough framing.” When we built a house setting the outside of the home in place was referred to as rough framing. For me doing the rough framing was really fun. We got to see something take the shape of a house fairly quickly. And we were in a cold climate, so we were creating the possibility for having a warm place to work in the winter to finish of the interior of the homes we built. This is not unlike our lives with God.

We build things slowly over time in our walk with God. But just like a home, we have to begin somewhere. That beginning, that initial foundation laying comes from our realizing that we need Him. We get to that place, as Paul said, by believing in our heart and confessing with our mouth.

Romans 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.

So that is the laying of the foundation. But how do we begin to frame the house, this place for God to live, this temple that we are? Actually, we do it in much the same way. God told Joshua this after the death of Moses.

Joshua 1:7 Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest.
8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.

Here we see that same principle being put forward. If we meditate on the scriptures, speaking them out loud day and night, we begin to make the “place” where we can live out our faith. We create us, the place for God to dwell, or as Paul states, we are God’s temple.

1 Corinthians 6:19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?

So, this is how we begin to build the space for God to dwell. Again, as the Psalmist says, meditate on the scriptures and pray.

Psalms 1:1 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

Prayer
Father, we praise You today for You are worthy of all our praise. You alone provide blessings for us every day. You alone are the source for our very lives. Thank You for setting us on the Rock, Your Son, Yeshua (Jesus). And thank You for giving us the ability to move forward by the words of our mouth and by our actions when we say what You are saying and do what You are doing. In Jesus’ (Yeshua’s) name. Amen.